Self Contained Tours

Self-contained camping tours have been an Adventure Cycling tradition for 40 years. To many cyclists, this style of travel is the ultimate. Relying on your own power, cooking your own meals, and carrying your “home” with you — it’s a sense of freedom that must be experienced to be understood.

An Adventure Cycling leader accompanies each group of up to 14 riders traveling between 40 and 70 miles per day. Our shorter self-contained trips have fixed itineraries, but on our longer self-contained trips, only the starting and ending dates are fixed, so groups can adapt daily riding distances to the weather, terrain, and attractions along the way. The leader, with the group’s input, plans each day’s adventure. Schedules typically include a rest day every seven to 10 days. Riders share cooking duties and camp for the vast majority of overnight stays.

“The extra day in Martha’s Vineyard was a real treat. We had plenty of time to explore the highlights of the island at a leisurely pace. Our free morning in Provincetown gave us time to visit the beach and watch the humpback whales breaching about one mile offshore … a definite highlight of the trip.”

Tour Team Top Picks

Fully Supported. Beginning in Adventure Cycling’s hometown of Missoula, we’ll cross the Continental Divide more than once as we ride along many of the rivers that run through Western Montana and visit small towns, soak in few hot springs, and take in massive views under the Big Sky!

Self Contained. The world’s longest mountain bike route turned 20 last year — and you can join the party. Ride the Great Divide’s spectacular Canadian section and see why Outside magazine called it one of “The Best Backcountry Adventure Trips in America.”

Self Contained. This spring, you won’t need to worry about traffic as you ride your hybrid or mountain bike some 330 miles on hard-packed, gently graded gravel and dirt trails from the heart of the nation’s capital north to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Adventure Cycling Association inspires, empowers and connects people to travel by bicycle.